An agency claiming to represent loyal paramilitary organizations, Boris Johnson said the banned groups were withdrawing their support for Northern Ireland’s historic peace deal.
The Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) has said the groups are temporarily withdrawing their support for the Belfast / Good Friday agreement amid growing concerns over the controversial Northern Ireland protocol on Irish post-Brexit trade.
However, they stressed that the union’s opposition to the protocol should remain ‘peaceful and democratic’.
The 1998 agreement, signed by loyal paramilitary organizations 23 years ago, ended decades of violence and established the concluded division of power at Stormont.
British ministers are facing a setback from union members who fear the protocol could threaten Northern Ireland’s place in the UK market.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and other trade union parties are calling for the protocol to be dissolved, saying it has driven an economic wedge between the region and Britain that is undermining the union.
The letter sent to Johnson states that the position of the paramilitary will continue until the protocol is amended to ensure unhindered access to goods, services and citizens in the UK.
In addition, he said: “If you or the EU are not prepared to abide by the whole of the agreement, you will be responsible for the permanent destruction of the agreement.”
The development came when the British government acted unilaterally on Wednesday to extend a grace period limiting the paperwork associated with the relocation of agricultural foodstuffs from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
The EU criticized the move, claiming it violated the terms of the protocol.
Goods arriving in Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom have been subject to further processes and controls since the Brexit transition period on 31 December.
The bureaucracy will intensify significantly when the grace period ends. From that point on, supermarkets and other retailers will need EU health certificates for agricultural food products from the UK.
The letter to the prime minister was written by David Campbell, chairman of the LCC. He writes a similar letter to the Irish taoiseach, Micheál Martin.
The LCC represents the Ulster Volunteer Force, Ulster Defense Association and Red Hand Commando, which were responsible for many deaths during 30 years of conflict.
The main loyalists and republican armed groups signed during discussions principles such as commitment to violence, which led to the signing of the Belfast Agreement in exchange for early release of prisoners.
The letter states: ‘We are concerned about the disruption of trade and commerce between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK that is taking place, but our core objection is much more fundamental.’
It said the government and the EU had said during the Brexit negotiations that it was most important to protect the Belfast Agreement and the built – in guarantees for the two main communities in Northern Ireland. The letter states that the operation of the protocol repeatedly violates these objectives.
Campbell maintained the LCC leadership was determined that the opposition to the protocol should be ‘peaceful and democratic’.
“However, do not underestimate the power of this case across the union family,” he wrote.
The protocol is designed to prevent the establishment of a hard border on the island of Ireland by adhering to Northern Ireland in accordance with EU trade rules.
This has caused disruptions for some goods traveling from the rest of the UK as suppliers have struggled to overcome extra red tape.
Police have noticed increasing discontent in union communities. The Chief Constable of the Northern Ireland Police Service (PSNI), Simon Byrne, had earlier warned of a ‘feverish’ atmosphere and urged people to step back from the brink of violence.
Port inspection staff were temporarily withdrawn from duty this year in response to sinister graffiti, but they resumed their work after police insisted there was no credible threat against them.
Last week, Stormont’s agriculture minister, DUP, Gordon Lyons, halted preparatory work on building permanent Irish Sea trade investigations at the ports.
This step, the legality of which is disputed by the executive colleagues, has no bearing on the ongoing checks, as it took place at temporary port facilities.